By Joan Abaasa
Communication Officer, ICPAU
The CFO Leadership Academy, hosted by MAT ABACUS Business School in partnership with the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), commenced sessions for its 7th cohort on 22 May 2025 at ONOMO Hotel in Nakasero. CPA Peter Ssenyange, CFO of PostBank, delivered an insightful presentation on the realities of leadership.
Titled “Understanding Your Leadership Style,” Ssenyange delivered an unscripted dialogue that encouraged introspection. He urged attendees, many of whom had been nominated by their supervisors to ask themselves a fundamental question: “Why were you recommended for this program?”
According to Ssenyange, that question isn't rhetorical. It's a signal. When a supervisor recommends someone for a leadership role, it may be a subtle way of saying, “You are technically competent, but you are no longer serving the organisation in the way we need.” He compared it to receiving breath mints from someone too polite to tell you your breath smells.
“Leadership is not just about your technical brilliance,” he asserted. “It’s about the influence you have on people and systems.”
Drawing on both biblical references and corporate realities, Ssenyange cited the story of Moses being advised by his father-in-law to appoint capable men to lead thousands, hundreds, and tens, insinuating that it is a timeless leadership structure. He stated that delegation isn’t just about efficiency, but rather a survival tactic.
Ssenyange also cautioned against confusing personal brilliance with organisational relevance. “You can be very good at what you do and still be on your way out,” he said, noting that many leaders stagnate because they fail to evolve from individual contributors to people developers.
“If you can’t take one day off to grow yourself, then you haven’t built a team that can function without you and that’s not leadership!” he asserted.
Other sessions also featured insights from Prof. Samuel Sejjaaka, Team Leader at MAT ABACUS Business School, and Ethan Musolini, CEO Success Africa, who both emphasised the importance of mindset, self-awareness, and continuous development in shaping impactful leaders.
Prof. Samuel Sejjaaka, delivered a presentation under the module "Decoding Your Leadership DNA." He posed a powerful question to the attendees: “What kind of leader are you?” This challenge formed the basis of his session on Personal Leadership, where he emphasised that leadership begins with influence.
“A leader is someone influential,” he said, highlighting that leadership is not always about titles or positions but about actions and integrity. “Doing the right thing when no one is watching, that’s accountability and leadership,” he added.
Prof. Sejjaaka engaged participants in an exercise where they were asked to define what leadership meant to them and reflect on their ability to make impactful decisions in both professional and personal spheres. He stressed that a high level of motivation and self-awareness is essential for anyone aspiring to reach their full potential, citing a study by Xavier University to support his point.
Adding to the day’s discussion was Ethan Musolini, CEO of Success Africa, who captivated the audience with his session on Emotional Intelligence for Leaders. Musolini emphasised the importance of understanding and managing emotions, both one’s own and those of others as a cornerstone of effective leadership.
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